Scalable, component-accessible, and highly interconnected three-dimensional component arrangement within a system

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present invention include dense, but accessible and well-interconnected component arrangements within multi-component systems, such as high-end multi-processor computer systems, and methods for constructing such arrangements. In a described embodiment, integrated-circuit-containing processing components, referred to as a “flat components,” are arranged into local blocks of intercommunicating flat components. The local flat-component blocks are arranged into interconnected, primitive multi-local-block repeating units, and the primitive local-block repeating units are layered together in a three-dimensional, regularly repeating structure that can be assembled to approximately fill any specified three-dimensional volume. The arrangement provides for relatively short, direct pathways from the surface of the specified volume to any particular local block and flat component within the three-dimensional arrangement.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to computer architecture and, inparticular, to a method and organizational structure for relativelytightly packing and interconnecting components, including integratedcircuits or other types of electrical components, optical components, orfluidic components, within a compact, three-dimensional volume to whichadditional components can be easily added, and within which individualcomponents remain accessible from points external to thethree-dimensional volume.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the past fifty years, electronic computing systems have evolvedfrom elaborate, room-sized, vacuum-tube-based behemoths to fantasticallyfast and efficient, by comparison, integrated-circuit-based computersystems, including extremely powerful, multiple-vector-processor andmassively parallel supercomputer systems. In high-end supercomputersystems, great attention is spent to design efficient interprocessorcommunications and to organize processors spatially within thesupercomputer systems in order to provide short, reasonably direct, highbandwidth interconnections between the processors to allow fordistribution of computing tasks among multiple processors.

The extremely high switching speeds of current submicroscale andnanoscale electronic circuits are sufficiently fast that an electronicsignal representing a first logical state may only travel a few tenthsof centimeters, at the speed of light, along a signal path before asignal from a next state is generated by a processor. Becausecommunications paths are limited in the number of logical states thatcan be communicated within the signal path at a given instant in time,the physical separation of processors interconnected by metallic wiresor optical light paths may therefore introduce significant processingdelays in multiple-processor systems. Improved methods and techniquesfor parallel processing, including improved compiler technology andimproved algorithmic methods for decomposing large tasks into separate,parallel tasks, have allowed for potentially efficient use of greaternumbers of processors in massively parallel computer systems. Suchconfigurations have resulted in ever decreasing miniaturization ofintegrated circuits with corresponding increasing densities, both withinintegrated-circuit devices, as well as inmulti-integrated-circuit-component devices, such as multi-processordevices. However, both in single integrated-circuit systems, as well asin multi-component systems, the trend towards increasing componentdensities is balanced by the need to provide high bandwidthinterconnections between components, to provide direct access tocomponents, and to provide pathways by which heat can be dissipated.Thus, designers and manufacturers of high-end, multi-component computersystems and other electronic systems continue to seek methods fororganizing electronic components, such as integrated circuits, withinmulti-component devices to provide both high-component-densityarrangements as well as accessibility and interconnectivity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention include dense, but accessible andwell-interconnected component arrangements within multi-componentsystems, such as high-end multi-processor computer systems, and methodsfor constructing such arrangements. In one described embodiment,integrated-circuit-containing processing components, referred to as“flat components,” are arranged into local blocks of intercommunicatingflat components. The local flat-component blocks are arranged intointerconnected, primitive multi-local-block repeating units, and theprimitive local-block repeating units are layered together in athree-dimensional, regularly repeating structure that can be assembledto approximately fill any specified three-dimensional volume. Thearrangement provides for relatively short, direct pathways from thesurface of the specified volume to any particular local block and flatcomponent within the three-dimensional arrangement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an individual, planar component of a high-end computingsystem, or other electrical system, that is arranged by certain methodsof the present invention, into a dense, interconnected,three-dimensional arrangement.

FIG. 2 shows the interconnection of two neighboring flat componentsemployed in certain methods of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an illustration convention used to represent the exemplaryflat component shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate construction of local flat-component blocksfrom individual flat components employed in certain methods of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 shows an illustration convention used to illustrate either of theexemplary local flat-component blocks shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates a primitive repeating unit (“PRU”) constructed fromthree local flat-component blocks employed in certain methods of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a staggered layering of PRUs employed in certainmethods of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a rectangular, three-dimensional volume tiled by PRUssuch as the exemplary PRU shown in FIG. 7 employed in certain methods ofthe present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a first type of local-flat-component-block columnthat occurs within a three-dimensional PRU tiling employed in certainmethods of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a more detailed view of a portion of a column of the firsttype.

FIG. 12 illustrates a second type of local-flat-component-block columnthat occurs in all three, mutually perpendicular directions within athree-dimensional rectangular volume tiled with PRUs employed in certainmethods of the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows a more detailed view of a portion of alocal-flat-component-block column of the second type employed in certainmethods of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method forarranging planar components, such as integrated circuits, of a high-endcomputing system, or other electronic system, in a specified volume inorder to achieve (1) highly interconnected components; (2) directcommunication paths from points external to the specified volume to eachindividual component; (3) scalability in volume and dimensions; (4)flexibility in inter-component spacings; and (5) inclusion of modularsubassemblies and additional components. Although a number of relatedembodiments are described below, there are a profoundly large number ofpossible variations in both the design of the individual components aswell as in interconnection methodologies and spatial arrangements. Thepresent invention, as defined by the claims that follow, encompasses avery large number of alternate embodiments that, for practical reasonsrelated to length of description and clarity of description, are not alldisclosed, in detail, below.

FIG. 1 shows an individual, planar component of a high-end computingsystem, or other electrical system, that is arranged by methods of thepresent invention, into a dense, interconnected three-dimensionalarrangement. The component 101 comprises a square, planar substrate 103with a series of connectors, such as connectors 105 and 114, to allowfor interconnecting the component with neighboring components in athree-dimensional arrangement. This planar component is referred to as a“flat component”. The flat component shown in FIG. 1 is selected fordescription of embodiments of the present invention in order todemonstrate the applicability of embodiments of the invention tocomponents with relatively low symmetry. Higher symmetry components,including square, flat components having a single type of bi-directionalconnector and having four-fold rotational symmetry, represent a muchsimpler case with regard to multi-component assembly. The term “flat” ismeant to indicate only the fact that the components are thinner in onedimension than in the other two dimensions. Surfaces of the flatcomponents are not necessarily smooth or planar, but may include raisedand sunken features, and other types of surface features, patterns, ortextures. The exemplary flat component shown in FIG. 1 101 also includesfour apertures 125-128 to allow multiple flat components to be assembledalong cylindrical posts, or columns that pass through the apertures.Again, these apertures represent only one of many different possibleinterconnection strategies. In alternative embodiments, connection maybe accomplished with spacer components, without need for apertures.

The flat component shown in FIG. 1 includes connectors, such asconnectors 105 and 114, along each of the four edges perpendicular tothe planar surface. In the exemplary flat component 101 shown in FIG.127, the arrangement of connectors is less symmetrical than the squareflat component substrate, which has a central four-fold rotation axiscoincident with two orthogonal mirror planes, all perpendicular to amirror plane coincident with the center of the plane of the flatcomponent. Connector 105 is a male connector that can be inserted into afemale connector, such as female connector 114. The flat component withconnectors therefore has only a diagonal, vertical mirror planeorthogonal to a horizontal mirror plane, with a first pair of a set ofmale connectors 105-113 and female connectors 114-122 related to asecond pair of male connectors 140-148 and female connectors 130-138 bythe diagonal, vertical mirror plane. For the purposes of the presentinvention, the actual internal structure of the flat component,including electronic circuitry, optical circuitry, fluid circuitry, orother electronic, optical, fluidic, mechanical, of hybrid components,substrate materials, method for manufacture, and other parameters, isnot considered. The internal electronics may result in the flatcomponent having even less symmetry, and may result in restrictions onorientations of flat components and larger structures within thethree-dimensional tiling method, to be described below.

The present invention relates to the arrangement of the flat componentsin space, rather than to the internal composition or method ofmanufacture of the flat components. In particular, although only onearrangement of female/male connectors is described, for the sake ofillustrative simplicity, with reference to FIG. 1, many different typesof flat component-to-flat component connection mechanisms and methodsmay be employed, including inter-flat-component connections described inU.S. Pat. No. 5,729,752. Moreover, for the sake of illustrativesimplicity, the connectors of the exemplary flat component are shown tobe radially symmetric and positioned along the center of the edges ofthe flat component. However, less symmetric or more symmetric placementsof connectors, in which the connectors are fastened to either or both ofthe planar sides of the flat component, may alternatively be employed.Each connector pair, such as connector 105 and a corresponding femaleconnector on a neighboring flat component, may include any number ofindividual signal paths, including electrical, optical, fluid, or othersignal paths that together connect a flat component to its neighboringflat component. Although the exemplary flat component includes the fourapertures 125-128, alternative embodiments are described, below, forassembling individual flat components into a local block of flatcomponents. Alternative embodiments may employ different types ofconnector-arrangement symmetries, in turn providing different types ofoverall flat component symmetries and three-dimensional tilings, orlattices.

FIG. 2 shows the interconnection of two neighboring flat componentsemployed in certain methods of the present invention. As shown in FIG.2, a first flat component 202 is interconnected with a second flatcomponent 204 via a male connector of the first flat component(obscured) and a corresponding female connector 206 of the second flatcomponent 204. Neighboring flat components are connected together sothat they are perpendicularly disposed to one another. In this way, thefirst flat component 202 may be interconnected along a single edge witha set of parallel, neighboring flat components all perpendicular to thefirst flat component, the number of parallel, neighboring flatcomponents equal to or less than the number of connectors along the edgeof the first flat component. For flat components with edges at thesurface of a three-dimensional volume, the unused connectors may beterminated by external connector terminators, may be interconnected withone another by external surface interconnectors, may be internallyterminated, or may be left open, depending on the nature of the internalelectronics within the flat components and the nature of the computersystem or other high-end electrical system containing thethree-dimensional network of flat components.

To facilitate description of the three-dimensional arrangement of flatcomponents that represents on embodiment of the present invention, eachflat component is subsequently illustrated using a simplifiedillustration convention. FIG. 3 shows the illustration convention usedto represent the exemplary flat component shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 3,the directions in which the male connectors protrude from the edges ofthe exemplary flat component are indicated by two, partially overlying,mutually perpendicular arrows 302 and 304. The simplified illustrationconvention 300 for the exemplary flat component (101 in FIG. 1) allowsfor easy representation of sets of flat components within athree-dimensional representation. Again, for illustration convenience,the flat components are considered to be bilaterally symmetric withrespect to a symmetry plane coplanar with the planar flat component, andpassing through the center of the planar flat component. However, inalternative embodiments, flat components may be not be symmetric withrespect to the mirror plane, and may therefore be more constrained inthe positions that they occupy in different three-dimensionalarrangements than the described flat components. As also discussedabove, flat components may have higher symmetry, in which case thetwo-arrow representation shown in FIG. 3 can be replaces with a simple,square-planar representation without arrows.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate construction of local flat-component blocks, orlocal component blocks, from individual flat components, employed incertain methods of the present invention. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate twoalternative local-flat-component-block constructions, although manyadditional alternatives are possible. In FIG. 4, nine flat components402-410 are held together in parallel fashion with constant spacingbetween one another by four cylindrical posts or columns 412-415. Theparallel flat components 402-410 are spaced so that a single neighboringflat component, perpendicular to the parallel flat components 402-410,may be interconnected, using the connectors of one edge of the singleneighboring flat component, to each of the parallel flat components402-410 and the local-flat-component block 400. Note that thelocal-flat-component block is considered to be a cube with thedimension, normal to the plane of the included parallel flat components,including the length of the cylindrical columns or posts 412-415extending out from the surfaces of the first flat component 402 and thefinal flat component 410, as indicated by the dashed lines, such as dashline 418, in FIG. 4. Comparison of the exemplary flat component shown inFIG. 1 with the exemplary local-flat-component block 400 in FIG. 4reveals that a flat component placed perpendicularly to the parallelflat components in the exemplary local-flat-component block hasconnectors corresponding to each flat component edge of the localflat-component block. A local flat-component block may include as manyflat components as the maximum number of connectors that can befabricated on a flat component edge.

In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, a local flat-componentblock 500 is held together by four rectangular posts or columns 502-505positioned within corresponding slots at the center of each edge of eachflat component. In the local flat-component block shown in FIG. 5, theouter surface of the first flat component 506 and the final flatcomponent 508 are coincident with the two surfaces of the localflat-component block normal to the rectangular posts or columns 502-505.As noted above, many alternative methods for constructing a localflat-component block may be employed. Rather than central rectangularposts or columns, for example, L-shaped corner posts or columns may beemployed. In alternative embodiments, small spacers between the parallelflat components may be used in order to separate the flat components bya constant distance corresponding to the separation of connectors alongthe edges of flat components. In many implementations, the flatcomponents may be extremely thin, so that the majority of the volume ofa local flat-component block is empty space. In other implementations,either thicker flat components may be used, or the flat components maybe more closely spaced, to decrease the amount of empty space within alocal flat-component block. The separation distance of parallel flatcomponents within a local flat-component block may be dictated by thesize needed for communication pathways within a three-dimensionalarrangement of flat components, by the empty space needed for heatdissipation, by the size of connectors needed for interconnectingneighboring flat components and the flat component dimensions, and bymany other considerations.

The flat components within a local flat-component block areinterconnected via connecting wires, channels, or light paths that passthrough the columns, posts, spacers, or other structural members thathold the flat components together. Each flat component may be directlyconnected with all other flat components in the local flat-componentblock, or may alternatively be directly interconnected with only one orboth adjacent, neighboring flat components, or with subgroups of flatcomponents.

To facilitate description of the three-dimensional spatial arrangementof flat components that represents one embodiment of the presentinvention, a local flat-component block is represented using asimplified illustration convention. FIG. 6 shows an illustrationconvention used to illustrate either of the exemplary localflat-component blocks shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The local flat-componentblock has two faces 602 and 604, either coincident with, or parallel andnear to, the planar surfaces of the first and last flat componentswithin the local flat-component block. The four faces of the localflat-component block consisting of sets of parallel flat component edges606-609 are indicated by sets of parallel lines representing the edgesof the parallel flat components. The directions of the protrusion ofmale connectors from the flat components in the local flat-componentblock are indicated by the partially overlying, mutually perpendiculararrows 610 and 612, as in the illustration convention used for a singleflat component, shown in FIG. 3. Note that, in the described embodiment,each flat component in a local area block is similarly oriented so thatthe faces of the local-area block consisting of flat component edgeseach includes only one type of connector. In the described embodiment, alocal flat-component block has mirror-plane symmetry with respect to aninternal, diagonal mirror plane and with respect to a mirror planepassing through the central flat component, when the localflat-component block includes an odd number of parallel flat components,or in-between the two central flat components, when the localflat-component block includes an even number of parallel flatcomponents. Three-dimensional arrangements of flat components differentfrom that described below may arise from different local-flat-componentblock symmetries that may be, in part, determined by flat componentsymmetries different from the symmetries of the exemplary flat componentand local flat-component blocks shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates a primitive repeating unit constructed from threelocal flat-component blocks employed in certain methods of the presentinvention. The primitive repeating unit (“PRU”) is the smallest,complete subunit within a three-dimensional lattice, representing oneembodiment of the present invention that repeats, in a fixedorientation, in all three mutually perpendicular directions within athree-dimensional volume. For the three-dimensional arrangement thatrepresents one embodiment of the present invention, one of fourdifferent primitive cells may be selected. Moreover, amirror-symmetry-related, alternative three-dimensional arrangement offlat components related to the below described three-dimensionalarrangement may be constructed from one of four possible PRUs related bymirror symmetry to the four possible PRUs that can be selected from thedescribed three-dimensional flat component arrangement. Additional typesof PRUs may lead to different three-dimensional arrangements withcharacteristics similar to the desirable characteristics of thedescribed three-dimensional arrangement.

The PRU 700 shown in FIG. 7 includes three local flat-component blocks702, 704 and 706 as well as an empty slot, or empty subspace 708, havingthe same dimensions as those of a local flat-component block. The threelocal flat-component blocks within the PRU are mutually perpendicular.Local flat-component blocks 702 and 704 are interconnected along aninternal, planar interface such that each flat component in localflat-component block 702 is connected with each flat component in localflat-component block 704. Similarly, each flat component of localflat-component block 704 is connected to each flat component of localflat-component block 706. Therefore, each flat component in the PRU 700is either directly or indirectly interconnected with every other flatcomponent in the PRU. The flat components of local flat-component block702 are interconnected with the flat components of local flat-componentblock 706 indirectly through each of the flat components in localflat-component block 704.

As previously noted, a local flat-component block may consist primarilyof empty space, may consist primarily of flat component substrates, ormay have any of a continuous range of flat component densities dependingon the interspacings and thickness of the flat components, the number ofconnectors that can be placed on a wafer's edge, and the numbers of flatcomponents included within a flat-component block. Regardless of theinternal densities of local flat-component blocks, a PRU has a maximuminternal density of 75 percent of the density of a local flat-componentblock. Note also that all three local flat-component blocks within thePRU are identical, and are orientated in a mutually perpendicularfashion in order to provide maximal interconnection between the flatcomponents of adjoining local flat-component blocks.

PRUs may be used to tile any specified three-dimensional volume. Ofcourse, for specified three-dimensional volumes with curved surfaces,the tiling can only be approximate, just as a circle may only beapproximately tiled using small square tiles. PRUs may be placedside-to-side, all in a single orientation, to tile a two-dimensionalsurface in a regular, grid-like PRU matrix comprising PRU columnsorthogonal to PRU rows. The two-dimensional surfaces may be layered oneabove the other, in a staggered fashion, in order to produce athree-dimensional arrangement of local flat-component blocks having anumber of desirable properties for components of computer systems andother high-end electronics systems. FIG. 8 illustrates the basicstaggered layering of PRUs employed in certain methods of the presentinvention. Each PRU, such as PRU 802, in a first two-dimensional layerimmediately above, and adjacent to, a second two-dimensional layer ofPRUs is arranged so that the local flat-component block 806 withhorizontal flat components, or flat components normal to a perpendicularto the largest surfaces of the PRU, is placed directly above the emptyslot, or subspace, of a lower PRU 804. Thus, the PRUs of onetwo-dimensional layer are diagonally staggered, by half the dimension ofa PRU, in both, orthogonal, column and row directions of thetwo-dimensional layer.

FIG. 9 illustrates a rectangular, three-dimensional volume tiled byPRUs, such as the exemplary PRU shown in FIG. 7, employed in certainmethods of the present invention. In FIG. 9, five PRUs 904-908 form ahorizontal row of PRUs along the front facing edge of the firsttwo-dimensional layer 902, and PRUs 904 and 910-913 form a verticalcolumn of PRUs along the right-hand edge of the two-dimensional firstlayer. The rectangular, three-dimensional arrangement of localflat-component blocks shown in FIG. 9 is displayed in a cutaway fashion,with a number of local flat-component blocks constituting the upper,foreground, right-hand corner of the three-dimensional rectangularvolume removed to reveal interior local flat-component blocks. All ofthe faces of the rectangular, three-dimensional volume include openslots, such as open slot 914, corresponding to the open, or unfilled,slots or subspaces of individual PRUs. As can be seen in the cutawayportion of the rectangular volume, open slots occur at regular intervalswithin the interior of the rectangular volume as well. These open slotsmay, in various implementations, be filled with a variety of differentsensors, interconnection modules, components, or other types ofinclusions needed within the densely packed arrangement of flatcomponents for maintenance, control, sensing, communications, and otherfunctions.

Although the three-dimensional tiling of a volume by PRUs, asillustrated in FIG. 9, may, at first glance, appear to be rathercomplex, it contains only two different types of columns. FIG. 10illustrates a first type of local-flat-component-block columns thatoccur within the three-dimensional PRU tiling employed in certainmethods of the present invention. This first type of column may be foundin any of the three, orthogonal dimensions parallel to the edges of therectangular volume. Arrows passing through the centers of selectedcolumns of the first type are shown in FIG. 10, with arrows 1002 and1004 illustrating horizontal columns of the first type in a firstdirection, arrows 1010, 1012, and 1014 illustrating horizontal columnsof the first type in a second, orthogonal direction, and arrows 1006 and1008 illustrating vertical columns of the first type. FIG. 11 shows amore detailed view of a portion of a column of the first type employedin certain methods of the present invention. A column of the first typeincludes alternating local flat-component blocks 1102 and 1104 withparallel sets of flat components orthogonal to the axis of the column1105 interspersed with open slots 1106 and 1108. Within the interior ofa three-dimensional PRU tiling, each open slot, such as open slot 1106,is fully enclosed by flat components coincident with all six faces ofthe open slot provided by neighboring local flat-component blocks. Forexample, referring back to FIG. 10, open slot 1016 has four verticalflat component sides and, although obscured in FIG. 10, a flat componentbottom, all contributed by neighboring local flat-component blocks. Openslot 1016 is seen in cutaway, where the local flat-component blockdirectly above open slot 1016 has been removed. That removed localflat-component block would have the same orientation as localflat-component block 1018, and would thus provide the final, sixthenclosing flat component surface. In an implementation using localflat-component blocks of the type shown in FIG. 4, open slots would notbe fully enclosed, but would have open spaces along all 8 edges.

FIG. 12 illustrates a second type of local-flat-component-block columnthat occurs in all three, mutually perpendicular directions within athree-dimensional rectangular volume tiled with PRUs employed in certainmethods of the present invention. FIG. 12 uses the same illustrationconventions as FIG. 10, with arrows indicating selectedlocal-flat-component-block columns of the second type. A more detailedview of a portion of a local-flat-component-block of the second type,employed in certain methods of the present invention, is shown in FIG.13. The second type of local-flat-component-block column includes localflat-component blocks having flat components parallel to the axis of thecolumn 1301. Local flat-component blocks with vertical flat components1302 and 1306 alternate with the local flat-component blocks havinghorizontal flat components 1304 and 1308. As a result, alocal-flat-component-block column of the second type includes small,rectangular, open columns that traverse the entire length of thelocal-flat-component-block columns of the second type. These small open,interior columns are seen in cross-section in the interface 1310 betweenlocal flat-component blocks 1302 and 1304. Were one to look directlydown the axis of a local-flat-component-block of the second type, theflat components of all the local flat-component blocks contained withinthe column would be viewed on edge, and would form a grid identical tothe grid at the interface 1310 between local flat-component blocks 1302and 1304. The space within each cell of the grid would be visuallyunimpaired for the entire length of the local-flat-component-blockcolumn of the second type. One small, interior column is indicated inFIG. 13 by cross-hatched inter-flat-component-block interfaces1312-1316, dotted lines 1318-1319, and solid line 1320. Electrical,optical, or fluid communication paths can be located within theseinterior, open columns in order to traverse all local flat-componentblocks in a local-flat-component-block column of the second type betweentwo opposite sides of a three-dimensional re-tiled volume. Each localflat-component block within the three-dimensionally tiled volume iscontained within two different local-flat-component-block columns of thesecond type. Thus, there is a clear, unimpeded, linear path from fourdifferent surfaces of a rectangular three-dimensional arrangement oflocal flat-component blocks to each flat component in the interior ofthe three-dimensionally tiled volume. Each flat component is thereforedirectly and easily accessible by whatever means of communication isneeded to provide input to, receive output from, and maintain each flatcomponent within a three-dimensional arrangement of flat components. Thedirect paths are, in addition, relative short, in terms of the number oflocal flat-component blocks along the path. In general, the largestnumber of local flat-component blocks that need to be traversed along alinear path to reach an internal local flat-component block isproportional to $\frac{1}{2}( {\,^{3}\sqrt{N}} )$where N is the number of local flat-component blocks within a specified,spherically symmetric volume. Considering a rectangular, specifiedvolume, the largest number of local flat-component blocks that need tobe traversed along a linear path to reach an internal localflat-component block does not exceed $\frac{1}{2}d_{2}$where d₂ is the next-to-smallest dimension of the volume in units oflocal flat-component blocks, or the smallest dimension, when themagnitudes of two equal dimensions are less than a third dimension ofgreater magnitude. These linear paths allow electrical, optical,fluidic, or other types of signals and materials to flow through thethree-dimensional lattice of PRUs.

Although the present invention has been described in terms of aparticular embodiment, it is not intended that the invention be limitedto this embodiment. Modifications within the spirit of the inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, as discussedabove, the asymmetry of each flat component with respect to male andfemale connectors results in the columns of the second type within thethree-dimensional tiling to have a direction, as indicated by the arrowson two of the faces of the local flat-component blocks. Because thecolumns have directions, the three-dimensional tiling shown in FIGS. 9,10, and 12, are chiral in nature, and are related by mirror symmetry toa mirror-image tiling. Thus, the described three-dimensional tilingactually encompasses two equivalent, mirror-image tilings. Repeating,three-dimensional lattices are well known in mathematics andcrystallography. Similar, but different lattices composed of differenttypes of PRUs may also be employed to provide three-dimensional flatcomponent tilings that provide for direct, unobstructed communicationschannels from exterior surfaces of the three-dimensional volume to anyflat component within the lattice. As discussed above, the possiblesymmetries of PRUs reflect the underlying symmetries of flat components,and the symmetries of the PRU in turn determine the type of repeating,three-dimensional lattices that the PRUs may occupy. Within athree-dimensional tiling, small enclosed spaces may be obtained byremoving one or more contiguous local flat-component blocks in order toprovide space for large components of various types. Thus, thethree-dimensional space tiled by PRUs may not be a continuous space, butmay instead include channels, invaginations, and enclosed subspaces. Asdiscussed above, the three-dimensional arrangement of flat componentsmay be used for tightly packing any of an almost limitless variety ofdifferent types of computer-system and electronics-system componentswithin a defined three-dimensional space.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specificdetails are not required in order to practice the invention. Theforegoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present inventionare presented for purpose of illustration and description. They are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed. Obviously many modifications and variations are possible inview of the above teachings. The embodiments are shown and described inorder to best explain the principles of the invention and its practicalapplications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to bestutilize the invention and various embodiments with various modificationsas are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended thatthe scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and theirequivalents:

1. A system having a number of flat components arranged in athree-dimensional lattice, the three-dimensional lattice comprising:local component blocks, each comprising a number of parallel, flatcomponents held together at an inter-system-component spacing, arrangedinto a number of primitive repeating units, the primitive repeatingunits in turn arranged into two-dimensional layers that are stacked oneupon another to produce the three-dimensional lattice so that each flatcomponent within the three-dimensional lattice can be accessed through alinear, unobstructed space from a point on an external surface of thethree-dimensional lattice.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the flatcomponents include one or more: internal optical components; internalelectrical components; internal fluidic components; internal mechanicalcomponents; and internal hybrid, combination components.
 3. The systemof claim 1 wherein each flat component is approximately square, andincludes evenly spaced connectors on each edge.
 4. The system of claim 3wherein each flat component in a selected first local component block issimilarly oriented, so that each flat component of a neighboring, secondlocal component block with flat components orthogonal to, but containinga common line with, each flat component of the first local componentblock may be interconnected to each flat component of the first localcomponent through a pair of connectors, one connector of the paircontributed by flat components of each of the first and second localcomponent blocks.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein each primitiverepeating unit includes four slots, three of the four slots filled withthree, mutually perpendicularly oriented local component blocks, and afourth slot empty.
 6. The system of claim 5 wherein each two-dimensionallayer comprises identically oriented primitive repeating units attachedinto a 2-dimensional grid comprising rows and columns of primitiverepeating units.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein each two-dimensionallayer in the three-dimensional lattice is staggered from neighboringlayers by a translation of one half of a primitive-repeating-unitdimension in two, orthogonal directions coincident with the griddirections of the two-dimensional layers.
 8. The system of claim 1wherein the linear, unobstructed spaces from a point on an externalsurface of the three-dimensional lattice by which each flat componentwithin the three-dimensional lattice can be accessed provide pathsthrough which electrical, optical, fluidic, or other signals can flowthrough the three-dimensional lattice.
 9. A method for constructing adense, interconnected three-dimensional lattice of flat components, themethod comprising: arranging flat components into local componentblocks, each local component block comprising a number of parallel flatcomponents held together at an inter-system-component spacing; arrangingthe local component blocks into a number of identical primitiverepeating units; and arranging the primitive repeating units intotwo-dimensional layers that are stacked, in a staggered fashion, oneupon another to produce the three-dimensional lattice so that each flatcomponent within the three-dimensional lattice can be accessed through alinear, unobstructed space from a point on an external surface of thethree-dimensional lattice.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the flatcomponents include one or more: internal optical components; internalelectrical components; internal fluidic components; internal mechanicalcomponents; and internal hybrid, combination components.
 11. The methodof claim 9 wherein each flat component is approximately square, andincludes evenly spaced connectors on each edge.
 12. The method of claim9 wherein each primitive repeating unit includes four slots, three ofthe four slots filled with three, mutually perpendicularly orientedlocal component blocks, and a fourth slot empty.
 13. The method of claim9 wherein each two-dimensional layer comprises identically orientedprimitive repeating units attached into a 2-dimensional grid comprisingrows and columns of primitive repeating units.
 14. The method of claim 9wherein each two-dimensional layer in the three-dimensional lattice isstaggered from neighboring layers by a translation of one half of aprimitive-repeating-unit dimension in two, orthogonal directionscoincident with the grid directions of the two-dimensional layers. 15.The method of claim 9 wherein the linear, unobstructed spaces from apoint on an external surface of the three-dimensional lattice by whicheach flat component within the three-dimensional lattice can be accessedprovide paths through which electrical, optical, fluidic, or othersignals can flow through the three-dimensional lattice.